Sir Alex Ferguson missed only the third game of his 24-year Manchester United reign as he travelled to Spain to watch next week's Champions League opponents Valencia.

News of his side's rampant display from the less glamorous setting of Glanford Park would have delighted him.

Despite starting nervously against Ian Baraclough's progressive Scunthorpe side, United recovered from falling behind to an early goal to ease past their Championship opponents with some clinical football.

Double delight: Michael Owen struck twice to celebrate his first goals of the season

Ferguson will also be pleased to hear
positive reports from Mike Phelan about the late contribution of
£7.4million signing Bebe.

The 20- year-old was only on the
field for 16 minutes and the first three of those were spent with his
hands on his hips as a pitch invader - naked apart from his socks - did a
couple of lengths of the field.

But when the youngster was finally
given his opportunity he acquitted himself well. He would appear to have
pace to spare and he may even have scored a spectacular goal, only for
his ambitious shot to take a deflection and spin over the crossbar.

Wright on: Josh Wright hit a marvellous strike to opening the scoring but the hosts' joy was shortlived

Earlier in the day Ferguson had given
an interview to CNN and offered some insight in to why he had bought
such an unknown player.

OWEN CLOSES IN

Michael Owen's double strike took him to a total of 199 goals in English football.

The manager said: 'It was a bit of a
leap into the dark really because we hadn't seen him play but we sent
down one of our scouts and he came back and said: "There's something
exceptional here, we'll maybe be seeing something really special".

'So we took the gamble. It was one of
those instinctive things. You have a smell about something and you take
it. Since he's joined, we've been working on him physically. He's
played one reserve game and you'll see the progress now.'

For Bebe, there will be bigger
nights. Certainly, there are likely to be bigger tests for him in this
competition.

Ferguson should stick with the team
on view on Wednesday night - with one or two noteable exceptions -
through a tournament he has won with the help of under-strength sides
for the last two years.

Smalling scores United's second goal

Scunthorpe more than contributed to a
good tie. Their fluent, aggressive football ensured they were a threat
all night. Indeed, United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak made more saves
than his counterpart Joe Murphy.

Scunthorpe were particulary potent
from distance and United's Polish goalkeeper was busy on at least 10
occasions.

Overall, however, United were
impressive in the way in which they took their chances and recovered
after Josh Wright's goal from distance.

Wright and midfield counterpart
Martyn Woolford were impressive throughout. It was just a shame for the
home fans that strikers Jonathan Forte and Chris Dagnall were not quite
as dangerous.

The 10 minutes which followed
Wright's goal proved decisive. At the time they looked capable of
stretching their lead as United had started poorly, with Rio Ferdinand
looking decidedly out of sorts and United's midfield unable to secure
any kind of prolonged possession.

Had Baraclough's team scored again
then, the game may have got away from United. As it was, they equalised
out of nothing as Darron Gibson ran on to Chris Smallings long pass down
the right to lob Murphy from a tight angle.

Scunthorpe captain Cliff Byrne then
headed a corner over when he should have scored and United exacted the
most painful form of punishment when Smalling himself - still upfield
following a poorly-cleared corner - diverted a low cross from Park
Ji-Sung in to the goal from close range to give his side an unexpected
lead at half-time.

After the break Scunthorpe attempted
to take the game back to United but their play became a little gung-ho
and United picked them off twice on the counter before the hour.

Federico Macheda, disappointing on
the whole, played Michael Owen clear for the former England striker to
score with little fuss and then Park - strangely absent from the United
first team recently - drove a low shot home from just inside the penalty
area.

Caretaker boss Baraclough must have
felt a little aggrieved. His team had done little wrong. By now,
however, United were in their element and this was turning in to a very
good night for the likes of Owen, Park, Gibson and Brazilian midfielder
Anderson.

Vintage finish: Michael Owen tucks away his first of the game in trademark style to make it 3-1

Owen was to score again in the 71st
minute as he reacted first after Murphy could only parry Park's low shot
but there was to be a closing moment of happiness for the home team as
their most impressive player, Woolford, stuck out a leg to give
Scunthorpe a second goal in added time.

United assistant manager Phelan was
asked if Ferguson had shown Scunthorpe a lack of respect by choosing to
stay away.

Big day out: Substitute Bebe is held up by Scunthorpe skipper Byrne as he makes his United debut

'Why would anyone suggest that?' he
replied.

'We have a big Champions League game
next week. It was the right decision.'